Calender-watch movement

ABSTRACT

A jumper assembly for the date mechanism in a day-date watch comprising a rigid arm and a resilient arm, the resilient arm having two catches, one which can be used for biasing the jumper and the second for operating a second jumper to operate on the day mechanism.

United States Patent Zaugg et al.

[ 1 CALENDER-WATCH MOVEMENT [75] Inventors: Roland Zaugg; Josef Fliickl both of Grenchen, Switzerland [73! Assignee: A. Schild S.A., Grcnchem Switzerland {22] Filed: Sept. 24, 1974 [2|] Appl. No.: 508,900

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. l0 I973 Switzerland l443I/73 [52] US. Cl. .t 58/58 [5 l] Int. Cl. .t G04b 19/24 [58] Field of Search 58/1 58 [56] References Cited UNI'I, l) STATES PATENTS 1713,2247 l/l973 Vogt ct ul. 0. 58/58 June 10, 1975 Il/l973 2/1974 Visconti et a] 58/58 Nemoto 58/58 Primary Examiner-George H. Miller, Jr. Attorney Agent, or FirmStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher {57] ABSTRACT A jumper assembly for the date mechanism in a day date watch comprising a rigid arm and a resilient arm, the resilient arm having two catches, one which can be used for biasing the jumper and the second for operating a second jumper to operate on the day mechanism 9 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures .mams

PATENTEDJUH 10 ms SHEET FIG.1

PATENTED SHEET FIG.2

CALEN DER-W ATCH MOVEMENT This invention relates to a calendar-watch movement comprising a base plate, at least one indicator member having a toothing and intermittently rotating about the center of the base plate, and means for immobiiizing the indicator member or members during the periods between two rotating movements.

Calendar-watch movements of this type are usually produced with either one or two indicator members driven periodically. Such movements are either simple calendar movements having a date-ring mounted at the periphery of the base plate or day/date movements having in addition a day-disk integral with a star pivoting at the center of the base plate. Whatever the configuration, each periodically or intermittently driven indicator member has a toothing cooperating with a jumper which keeps the member in a stable and stationary position between the periods of movement. Until now, the jumpers have generally consisted of flat, rigid parts obtained by blanking. At the time of assembly, they are pivotably mounted on the base plate by means of a stepped screw and are acted upon by a spring which presses their beak into the toothing of the indicator member. This spring is generally a wire bent into a hairpin shape and lodged in a recess in the base plate. The manufacture, storage, and assembly of the clicks and click-springs are operations which. in many instances, take time, complicate the organization of the workshops, and involve substantial expense. These drawbacks are all the more serious in that, in most cases, the jumpers and springs provided for the day-stars are not the same as the jumpers and springs provided for the date-rings.

Rigid jumpers mounted pivotally on the base plate and blanked in one piece with a resilient arm are also known; however, the resilient arms of these known jumpers do not comprise two catches. so that it is not possible to use the same jumper both in certain movements having a biasing element situated at one location and in other movements having a biasing element situated at a different location.

It is the object of this invention to increase the efficiency of the production of calendar-watch movements by designing a system of jumpers comprising only standard parts and being adapted for mounting just as well on simple calendar watches as on day/date watches.

To this end, in the calendar-watch movement according to the present invention, the immobilizing means comprise a flat portion of the base plate, a circular retaining plate fastened to the base plate by its center portion and spaced a certain distance above the aforementioned flat portion, a jumper having a rigid arm and a resilient arm, two catches projecting from the resilient arm at two separate locations along the resilient arm, means for pivoting the jumper on the flat portion of the base plate, and a biasing element extending opposite one of the catches, both arms of the jumper being situated on the same side of the center of the retaining plate and being covered thereby, the resilient arm of the jumper being kept biased by the pressure of one of the catches against the biasing element. and the other catch being freely movable.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. I is a partial top plan view, the day-indicating member being broken away to show the click system. and

FIG. 2 is a section on a larger scale taken on the line llll of FIG. I.

The drawing shows a watch movement, e.g., a wristwatch movement, in which a circular base plate I bears a date-ring 2 provided with a 3l-tooth inner toothing 3 and a day-disk 4 which is coaxial with and situated on the same level as ring 2 but is mounted on a day-star 5 having a l4-tooth toothing 8 and pivots about an hourwheel (not shown). The drawing shows one of the dates 6 imprinted on ring 2 and one of the indications 7 borne by disk 4. The means for driving indicator members 2 and 4 are not shown. it will be assumed that they are of a conventional type causing, for example, the simultaneous jumping of star 5 and ring 2 precisely at midnight every 24 hours, with ring 2 advancing by one step of toothing 3 and star 5 advancing by two steps of its toothing 8.

Normally, indicator members 2 and 4 are held in place by two jumpers 8 and 10 having triangular beaks 11 and 12, respectively, at one end of each, cooperating with toothings 3 and 8, respectively. Jumpers 9 and 10 are flat, thin parts, preferably of steel, produced by blanking. As may be seen in FIG. 1, jumper 9 comprises a rigid arm 29 of a slightly curved shape having at the opposite end of it from beak H a circular opening 13 engaged on a stud l4 fastened to base plate 1. Jumper 9 is made in one piece with its spring, for its rigid arm 29 continues into a resilient arm 15 of the same thickness as arm 29, but narrower than this latter. Arm 15 is blanked in the shape of a bent lever, the curved portion of which extends parallel to rigid arm 29. Resilient arm 15 continues into a straight portion 15a having two lateral catches l6 and 17 situated on the same side, catch 17 being at the end of arm 15.

As for jumper 10, it is wide enough at all points to be rigid. At the end of it opposite beak 12 is an opening 18 which serves for pivoting it on a stud l9 fastened to base plate I. The portion having the opening 18 is fitted in the bottom of a flat-bottomed recess in base plate 1 and the same level as jumper 9, so that beak 12, which is at a higher level in order to engage in toothing 8, is spaced from the flat bottom of the recess in base plate 1 by means of bend 20.

Jumper 10 has a rigid catch 21 extending toward resilient arm 15 Moreover, pivoting studs 14 and 19 and the dimensions of catches l6 and 21 are such that when the jumpers are fitted in place, the bent portion of arm 15 is kept biased by the pressure of catch 16 against catch 21, so that beaks 11 and 12 are engaged in toothings 3 and 8, respectively. The force with which the beaks of the jumpers press on the toothings is sufficient to immobilize indicator members 2 and 4.

Jumpers 9 and 10 are held in place axially by a common retaining member 22 which may be seen in section in FIG. 2. This member 22 comprises a threaded center shaft 23 engaged in a taphole in base plate 1, a collar 24 situated at the end of shaft 23 and limited by an annular shoulder which rests against the surface of base plate 1, an annular retaining element 25 which extends beyond collar 24 and slightly above base plate 1 so as to coverjumper 9, resilient arm 15, and jumper l0, and a head 26 separated from retaining element 22 by an annular groove 27. Head 26 is provided with a diametrical slot, and its dimensions are those of a standard screw, so that part 22 may be screwed in and out by means of an automatic screwdriver.

In another embodiment, part 22 might be replaced by a normal screw and a blanked and stamped washer which would be fastened against base plate I by the head of the screw, and the raised periphery of which would perform the function of retaining element 25.

Finally, the flat-bottomed recess in base plate 1 in which jumpers 9 and are fitted is limited by a projecting element shown in part in FIG. I. As may be seen there. the flank 28 of this element extends to within a short distance from catch 17 when jumpers 9 and I0 occupy the positions shown in FIG. 1.

Although catch 17 and flank 28 of base plate 1 do not play any functional part in the movement illustrated in FIG. I, it will nevertheless be understood that base plate I, jumper 9, and date-ring 2, as well as part 22, may be used without any modification in the fitting of a simple date-watch movement. In this case, there is no indicator member 4 nor any jumper l0. Beak ll of jumper 9 is then kept pressed against toothing 3 by the fact that arm is biased between stud l4 and projection 28, against which catch 17 presses. Since catch 17 is farther away from the beginning of arm 15 than catch 16 is, the spring will be less strongly biased; but since the spring now has only jumper 9 to control, this has no unfavorable effects.

In another possible embodiment, the relative posi tioning of catch 21 and flank 28 might be reversed. In that case, the shape of jumper 9 would be substantially identical to that shown in FIG. 1, but its arm 15a would be of consistent width and catch 16 would be eliminated. Jumper 10, on the other band, would be so dimensioned that its pivoting point 19 would be situated approximately to the right of the rear end 17 ofjumper 9, catch 21 then cooperating with catch l7 instead of with catch 16. Flank 28 of the recess in base plate 1 would be eliminated, and at the locaton of catch 16 in FIG. 1 there would be a stud integral with base plate 1 projecting from the bottom of the recess. With such an embodiment, it would be possible to produce singledate or double-date movements, such that in the double-date construction, the active length of the resilient arm ofjumper 9 would be longer than in the singledate construction. In the latter case, the middle part of arm portion 15a would press against the aforementioned stud. This embodiment would enable jumper 9 to exert the same force upon the date ring with or without the presence of jumper I0.

The advantages of the device just described are those which were enumerated initially, viz., the possibility of increasing the efficiency of manufacture of jumpers and movements by using the same parts for simple date-movements and for day/date-movements, elimination of independent springs which are delicate to mount, and ease of fitting and adjustment.

What is claimed is:

. "I. A calendar-watch movement comprising a base plate. at least one indicator member having a toothing and intermittently rotating about the center of said base plate, and means for immobilizing said indicator member or members during the periods between two rotating movements, wherein said means comprise a flat portion of said base plate, a circular retaining plate fastened to said base plate by its center portion and spaced a certain distance above said flat portion. a jumper having a rigid arm and a resilient arm, two catches projecting from said resilient arm at two separate locations along said resilient arm, means for pivoting said jumper on said flat portion, and a biasing element extending opposite one of said catches, both arms of said jumper being situated on the same side of the center of said retaining plate and being covered thereby, said resilient arm being kept biased by the pressure of one of said catches against said biasing element and the other of said catches being freely movable.

2. A movement according to claim 1, wherein said biasing element comprises a flank of a recess in said base plate. said recess constituting said flat portion.

3. A movement according to claim 2, wherein the one of said catches cooperating with said biasing element comprising said flank is situated at a free end of said resilient arm.

4. A movement according to claim I, comprising two said indicator members and a second jumper pivoting on said base plate, wherein said second jumper is rigid, and said biasing element comprises a portion of said second jumper.

5. A movement according to claim 4, wherein the one of said catches cooperating with said biasing element comprising a portion of said second jumper extends between an end of said resilient arm and a zone connecting said resilient arm to said rigid arm.

6. A movement in accordance with claim 4, wherein the two said indicator members have toothings which are situated at different levels, and wherein one of said jumpers comprises a beak engaged in the toothing of one of said indicator members and a bend between its pivoting axis and said beak.

7. A movement according to claim I, wherein said retaining plate is made in one piece with a screw engaged in a taphole in said base plate.

8. A movement according to claim 7, wherein said retaining plate comprises an annular groove around its center. said groove defining a screw-head provided with a diametrical slot.

9. A movement according to claim 7, wherein said retaining plate is a blanked and stamped washer fastened to said base plate by an independent screw. 

1. A calendar-watch movement comprising a base plate, at least one indicator member having a toothing and intermittently rotating about the center of said base plate, and means for immobilizing said indicator member or members during the periods between two rotating movements, wherein said means comprise a flat portion of said base plate, a circular retaining plate fastened to said base plate by its center portion and spaced a certain distance above said flat portion, a jumper having a rigid arm and a resilient arm, two catches projecting from said resilient arm at two separate locations along said resilient arm, means for pivoting said jumper on said flat portion, and a biasing element extending opposite one of said catches, both arms of said jumper being situated on the same side of the center of said retaining plate and being covered thereby, said resilient arm being kept biased by the pressure of one of said catches against said biasing element and the other of said catches being freely movable.
 2. A movement according to claim 1, wherein said biasing element comprises a flank of a recess in said base plate, said recess constituting said flat portion.
 3. A movement according to claim 2, wherein the one of said catches cooperating with said biasing element comprising said flank is situated at a free end of said resilient arm.
 4. A movement according to claim 1, comprising two said indicator members and a second jumper pivoting on said base plate, wherein Said second jumper is rigid, and said biasing element comprises a portion of said second jumper.
 5. A movement according to claim 4, wherein the one of said catches cooperating with said biasing element comprising a portion of said second jumper extends between an end of said resilient arm and a zone connecting said resilient arm to said rigid arm.
 6. A movement in accordance with claim 4, wherein the two said indicator members have toothings which are situated at different levels, and wherein one of said jumpers comprises a beak engaged in the toothing of one of said indicator members and a bend between its pivoting axis and said beak.
 7. A movement according to claim 1, wherein said retaining plate is made in one piece with a screw engaged in a taphole in said base plate.
 8. A movement according to claim 7, wherein said retaining plate comprises an annular groove around its center, said groove defining a screw-head provided with a diametrical slot.
 9. A movement according to claim 7, wherein said retaining plate is a blanked and stamped washer fastened to said base plate by an independent screw. 